Showcase



Patented June 8, 1937 UNITED STATES SHOWCASE Charles E. Rorrer and Albert R. Mittel-er, Denver, Colo., assignors to Stadium Stores, Ine., Denver,

Colo.

Application December 8, 1933, Serial No. 701,494

Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful irnprovements in refrigerating show cases in which an enclosed compartment for perishable merchandise has a slanting top for the display of 5 vegetables and other less perishable products, and adjacent the same a cooling element having a refrigerant effect upon said products.

The slanting top displays the vegetables and other articles in such a manner that those at the rear of the case appear as prominently as those nearer the front of the same and so that a quantity of substantially even thickness will give the impression of a volume of greater depth. Therefore, the slanting display top is an important l5 feature of the show case, since one of its outstanding objects is to provide a case which displays merchandise in such an alluring fashion that prospective purchasers are unconsciously attracted, with the obvious result of increased sales. It is an object of the present invention to still further enhance the attractive display of merchandise upon the top of the show case by the ingenious use of a mirror which by reflection of the merchandise in the line of view of a person facing the case at a distance therefrom creates the impression of a larger quantity of merchandise than actually is disposed upon the case. Another equally important result of the use of the mirror is that all of the displayed merchandise may be seen in its most attractive aspect by all persons, irrespective of their varying statures, it being obvious that tall persons have under ordinary conditions a far better view of the merchandise than persons of lesser height.

A further object of the invention resides in an improved construction of the cooling element adjacent the top of the show case, whose function is to maintain the displayed merchandise in fresh condition notwithstanding the fact that it is continuously exposed to the atmosphere.

An embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in the several views of which like parts are similarly des.- ignated and in which Figure 1 is a front View of the improved show case,

Figure 2 an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 a fragmentary section in the plane indicated by the line'3-3 of Figure 2.

. The show case as shown has an insulated compartment 5, normally closed, for the storage of perishable merchandise. Glass doors 6 at the slanting front of the compartment aord access l to its interior. The slanting top of the compart- REISSUED ment is enclosed on four sides to provide a bin 1 which is `open to the atmosphere. Brackets 8 at opposite sides of the bin support perforated shelves 8a for the support of merchandise in layers. The shelves, however, are not an essential of the construction and may be removed when not in use.

The bottom 9 and the rear wall I0 of the bin are double to provide spaces for the refrigerating element hereinbefore referred to. This element consists of series of tubes I2 for the circulation of a refrigerant, which are embedded in= a body I3 of Hydroline or the like, which in a liquid condition is poured into the space l through an opening I4 at the top thereof and hardens in place. Hydroline is a tar-like composition possessing heat insulating properties. The tubes contact With the metal inner members of the double walls of the bin, thereby cooling the merchandise within the bin. A slab I5 of cork or other material of similar characteristic is placed in the lower portion of the bottom wall of the bin 'i to insulate it from the compartment 5.

A refrigerating coil, indicated at I6, is suspended Within the compartment 5 for cooling purposes. Partitions, shown at I'I in Figure 1 of `the drawing, divide the open bin into several compartments for the separation of differentv kinds of Vegetables contained in the bin.

The mirror I8 hereinbefore referred to projects upwardly from the rear wall of the bin in a forwardly slanting position. The slant of the mirror is such that it reflects all of the merchandise contained in the bin, so that it may be seen by any person irrespective of his or her stature and at any distance from the front of the show case. It will be understood that the mirror must extend along the entire length of the case, in order to produce the desired effect, and that if necessary, it may be made in sections, as shown in Figure 1.

The mirror creates the impression of double the quantity of merchandise than is actually contained in the bin; and owing to its brilliance,

it displays the merchandise in the most alluring manner. As stated hereinbefore, the mirror has the additional object of displaying all the merchandise contained in the bin to all persons, irrespective of their statures, and it is preferably connected with the rear wall of the bin by a hinge I9 in order that it may be adjusted to different angles with relation to the sloping top of the show case, in accordance with varying conditions and requirements.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: f

1. A show case having at its top an open bin with a double re'ar wall 'and a double bottom, providing spaces for a cooling element, tubes for a refrigerant in said spaces, a body of Hydroline for the like, in which the tubes are embedded, and insulating means for confining the refrigeration Ywithin the open top.

2. A show csel'having at its top an open bin with a double rear wall and a double bottoni providing spaces for a cooling element, a layer of cork or the like in the space of the bottom, tubes for a refrigerant in the spaces, that in vthe space oi the bottom being above said layer, f and a body of Hydroline or the like in which the tubes are embedded. y

3. A show case having an open bin with a support for merchandise slanting forwardly and downwardly, for the display of the merchandise in a correspondingly slanting position, said bin having a retaining wall projecting upwardly from the lower portion of the bin; Tefrigerating means extending from the lower portion of the bin to and a substantial distance above the highest portion of the bottom thereof, and a mirror carried at the'back ofthe bin, said mirror being positioned to slant over the bin from a. point adjacent the rearward edge thereof, whereby cooled air may travel from the rear to the front of said bin over goods arranged therein, and such merchandise may be reflected toward the front of the show case.

4. A show case as defined in claim 3, in which means are provided for spacing the merchandise in the bin from the refrigerating means whereby to facilitate circulation of air in contact with said merchandise.

5. A show case having an open bin with a support for merchandise slanting forwardly and downwardly, fohthe display of the merchandise in a correspondingly slanting position, said bin having a retaining`,wall projecting upwardly from the lower portion o'f the bin; refrigerating means arranged to cooperate with said support, to cause a flow of cooled air acr s said merchandise, and a mirror carried at the ack of the bin, said mirror being positioned to slant over the bin from a point adjacent the rearward edge thereof, whereby such merchandise may be reflected toward the front of the show case.

CHARLES E. RORRER. ALBERT R. MTTERER. 

